Method of manufacturing packing-rings



C. P. BREESE. METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PACKING RINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6, 1917.

Patented Feb. 15, I921.

===iIlIIIIEEIl entice.

CHARIJES P. BREESE, F NOR/FOLK, VIRGINIA;

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PACKING-RINGS.

naeasea.

Application filed March 16, 1817.

To all whom itmay concern Be it known that l, CHARLES P. BREESE,

a citizen of the United States, residin at.

Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and tate of Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Manufacturing Pack I ing-Ring's', of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing packing rings particularly adaptable for engines, pumps and the like.

The ordinary form of packing ring is objectionable because when the ring expands, a point diametrically opposite the slit in the ring acts as a fulcrum, causing unequal radial expansion so that the ring frequently breaks on account of crystallization or other causes.

The ideal packing ring structurally is in the form of a spiral, because it may have both radial and axial expansion to not only efiiciently pack, but also eliminate liability of ring-slap, as well as other disadvantages.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a packing ring of spiral form with the pitch of the spiral equal to the width of the out, so that the ring will have both axial and radial resiliency and substantial uni-.

form expansion throughout.

lln carrying out my invention, I construct v the ring from a cylinder by cutting a spiral slot or groove in said cylinder, the pitch of which is equal to the width of the slot or groove. F or example, if the widthf of the slot or groove is one-quarter inch, the pitch of the cutter will be such as to give four cuts to the inch. If the width of the cut is three-eighths inch, the cutter will be set to make eight cuts to three inches and so on. I also prefer to arrange the cutters so that they will be in the plane of the cut and of the thickness of the out. By maintaining the pitch of the cut equal to the width thereof, the inner edge of the beginning of the cut will be in substantially the same plane as the outer edge of the finish of the out, so that when a plurality gf rings are formed from a single cylinder, each ring may be separately broken away from its adj aoent member in a convenient manner. After the rings are formed as just described, the ends of the convolutes are severed by cuts that determine the angles of the ends of the spirals, and of the ofisetting web, and at the same time. determine the spaces between said Patented net;

Serial No. 155,309.

ends and web permitting circumferential contraction of the ring. The spiral portionso-f the ring will be of uniform cross sectional area throughout and the offsetting web maybe of any desirable width. The rings are then collected, placed in a jig, clamped together and ground to size in the usual manner. In order to assist in a proper comprehension of the means by which the method may be carried out, I have illustrated diagrammatically the relation between the cutters and the cylinder in forming the rings, it being understood that the drawing does not necessarily resemble a machine such as will actually be used, but merely illustrates the method.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a view in elevation of a machine for carrying out my process;

Fig. 2is an elevational view of a cylinder out to form five rings.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the angular position of the work with relation to the cutters;

Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic view of the kerfing or finishing cutters, and

I, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the finished ring.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 1O designates a bed plate on which is a turret 11 which carries a vertically adjustable frame 12 on which is a chuck l3 longitudinally and rotataJbly driven by the lead screw .14 and drive 15. The chuck may carry a cylinder 16 which has been previously cast and interiorly rough cut to .provlde a wall of substantially uniform thickness, so that when the spiral is formed'and the ring finished, it will be of uniform cross sectional area. 17 designates a shaft in fixed arbo-rs 18 and 19, said'shaft being driven by a pulley 20 and .a belt 21. It will be observed that the rotary cutters are arranged in alternating relation, those designated 22 of larger diameter alternating with those of smaller diameter designated by numeral 23, there being one more than two cutters for each ring, the extra cutter 22 serving to cut off the end of the stock at the end of the ring. I have shown means'for making the rings in multiples, the diagrammatic mechanism illustrated indicating means for making five rings at one time from a single cylinder. It is obvious, however, that multiples of this arrangement may be provided,

or a single ring may be cut from a relatively short cylinder if desired.

When the cylinder 16 is placed in its chuck, it is first adjusted vertically by turning the crank 24 on the shaft 25 threaded in the sliding wedge blocks 26 and 27, which, by moving onthe inclined faces 28 and 29 move the cylinder 16 into engagement with the cutters 22 and 23. The cutters are rotated at a relatively greater speed than the speed of the cylinder, for, the rotation of the cylinder 16 is equal tothe speed of the cut, because the itch of the lead screw bears a definite relation to the width of the cut. In

I prefer to maintain the cutters in the plane of the out, as shown in Fig. 1,.and'preferably of substantially thesame width as the out, and by turning the turret to provide the proper angularity between the work and the cutters, the cut cylinder will have the form shown in Fig. 2 with the outer edge of the first ring in the plane of the inner edge of the second ring, so that the cut of the rings will substantially sever them or so closely approximate the severing of the rings as to Eermit them to be easily broken apart. ach individual ring is then subjected to oblique cutters 30 and 31 which cut away excess material from the offset web 32 connecting the convolutes 33 and 34 of the spiral ring 35, whereby the free ends of the conv0- lutes 33 and 34 are inclined in the planes of the edges of the web and whereby the width of the web is established. A ring con structed by this process will have, when confined, equal expansive force throughout its entire circumference. The rings thus formed may then be collected and placed in a sizing jig preparatory to having a number of the rings clamped together in the usual manner so that they will be frictionally 'held against independent rotation. The collected rings are then subjected to the usual grinding preparatory to finishing them.

It will be apparent that rings produced as above described will be cut rings, instead of wound or produced by bending, and each will have uniformly spaced spirally related convolutes of uniform sectional area throughout, with a connecting web, and with the metal of the web and convolutes retaining the same molecular status and occupying the same relative positions, when the ring is left unrestricted, as the metal of these parts had in the original blank from which the ring is cut. Such a ring will have resiliency to give both radial and axial expansion so that not only Will the radial expansion of the ring cause it to, at all times, bear against the surrounding surface to provide uniform wearing, but the axial expansion of the ring will maintain a close fit in the piston groove and prevent ring-slap.

I claim: I

1. The herein described method of manufacturing piston rings which consists in providing a cylinder and then cutting a spiral ring therefrom, the pitch of the spiral bep ing equal to the width of the cut. order to provide smooth edges on the rings,

2. The herein described method of making packing rings which consists in providin a cylinder, then cutting a spiral ring therefrom, the pitch of the spiral being equal to the width of the cut, and in maintaining the cutter in the plane of the cut.

3. The herein described method of making packing rings which consists in providing a cylinder, then cutting a spiral ring therefrom, the pitch of the spiral being equal to the width of the cut, whereby the twohalves of the spirals will be connected by a web and then removing the corners of the web to provide an ofiset web of suitable width.

4. The herein described method of making packing rings which consists in providing a cylinder, then cutting a spiral ring therefrom, the pitch of the spiral being equal to the widthof the cut, whereby the two halves of the spirals will be connected'by a web and then removing the corners of the web to provide an offset web of suitable width, and at the same time cutting the free ends of the spiral on a plane parallel with the edges of the web.

5. The herein described. method of making packing rings which consists in providing a cylinder, the wall of which is substantially of equal thickness throughout, then subjecting said cylinder simultaneously to a plurality of spiral cuts, the pitch of the spiralbeing equal to the width of the cut so 4 CHARLES P. BREESE. 

